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whats missing in your backyard? Backyard Touch CLOSED SUNDAY & MONDAY FOR THE LONG WEEKENDC 318 Guelph Street Georgetown 905.873.8835 $1500 wo rth FREE Upgrades * *Offer expires May 31st Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, May 14, 2008 3 Three families dreams for homes of their own will come true in a just a few months when they move into houses built by Habitat for Humanity Halton on John St. Ground was broken Friday on the prop- erties where, over the summer, three raised bungalows will be built simultaneously one for Bonita Smith, Chris Kearsey and their three children Nicholas, Alexander and Brianna, another for Renee Herman and her children Kyle, Josh and Cody and the other home for Millicent Walala and her children Austin and Donna. The three families couldnt be happier. We will finally have a backyard for the kids to play in, said Bonita Smith, a stay-at home mom. Its in the perfect area. Our kids dont have to change schools. The Kearsey/Smith family is from Georgetown and lives in an apartment in the area. Chris works at a local warehouse and the single income family of five spends a high percentage of its income on rent, meaning there is not always money left over for healthy food, new clothes or to pay unexpected bills. Brampton resident Renee Herman, who works as a GO Transit bus driver, had been on a waiting list for some time for Bramptons Habitat for Humanity and was thrilled to get a call from the Halton organi- zation. Its amazing. We have been living in basement apartments. Where I live right now is always flooding and its cold, said Herman. Burlington resident Millicent Walala, a nurse, and her two children are excited to be getting a home of their own. Im really happy. Its a dream come true, said Walala, who came to Canada after her husbands death, in the hope of creating a better life for her family. The newest Habitat for Humanity project in Georgetown held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday as Habitat staff, sponsors and Partner Families broke ground at the 51 John Street site. Taking part were, (from left) Kathrin Delutis, executive direc- tor, Habitat for Humanity Halton, Partner Family Millicent Walala and her children Austin and Donna; Partner Family Cody and his mom Reneerman and brothers Joshua and Kyle; Partner Family, Bonita Smith, Chris Kearsey and their children Brianna, Nicholas and Alexander; Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette; Patrick Cadieux, senior marketing manager, Whirlpool Canada; Michael Thier of Thier Architect; Mary De Sousa, director marketing and communications, First Canadian Title; Habitat for Humanity Halton Chairman of the Board Ed McMahon and Ted Arnott, MPP Wellington-Halton Hills. Photo by Ted Brown Tom Schenk (r ight) of the Candlelight Tribute Committee holds a piece of the cenotaph that broke off after vandals burned the Georgetown monument early Saturday in Remembrance Park. Candles that had been lit earlier as a tribute to Canadian soldiers were stacked up by the unknown culprits causing the fire. Below, graves at the Fairview Cemetery in Acton were also vandalized Saturday morning and Town of Halton Hills staff are upset and concerned about the frequency of these incidents. Photos by Eamonn Maher The idea for the candlelight trib- ute, held each year on VE (Victory in Europe) Day came after a group from Halton Hills visited the Netherlands six years ago and discovered that Dutch children lit red candles on Christmas Eve that burned through the night on the gravesites of fallen Canadian soldiers in silent tribute. This years tribute was held last Thursday. Schenk said the committee will likely have to post overnight security at the cenotaph in future years for the ceremony. Its really disappointing to keep seeing this sort of thing, especially for people coming to visit the ceme- tery on the Mothers Day weekend, said Karen Ford of the Towns parks and recreation department. She added that the newly-con- structed Rotary Centennial Pavilion in Prospect Park in Acton has been damaged frequently since it was completed last summer. As well as trying to burn down the structure, graffiti is frequently scrawled on its walls, plastic siding has been torn off and empty cases of beer are often found by Town staff. The park in Glen Williams wasnt damaged on the weekend but has become a favourite place for late- night mischief, say Town staff. Two portable toilets in Cedarvale Park were also torched last week. The discouraging part is that the recent (vandalism) sites have includ- ed Remembrance Park in George- town and Fairview Cemetery in Acton which should be places of respect and dignity, said Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette. It is absolutely disgusting that such acts of senseless vandalism would happen in our community, especially in these special areas. We hope that these individuals who have committed such a heinous act will come forward and turn themselves to the police. If not, with the assistance of Crime Stoppers, we will track them down. (Eamonn Maher can be reached at emaher@independentfreepress.com) Habitat makes dreams come true for three families Mayor calls vandalism absolutely disgusting Continued from pg. 1 See HABITAT, pg. 10 LISA TALLYN Staff Writer